MLB Rumors

Blue Jays closer Casey Janssen will continue to be monitored closely this season by Toronto, MLB.com reports. Following offseason shoulder surgery, Janssen has good days and bad days. 

His health can fluctuate depending on the day, but he's thus far been sharp on the mound for the Blue Jays and manager John Gibbons. 

"We have to be conscious of it," Gibbons said. "It doesn't make it easy for us, you want to get him steady work, [relievers] all need steady work to really stay sharp; you have to pick your spots."

The Cardinals have been hit by a number of injuries to their rotation, but they are still holding out hope that they can get a boost from Chris Carpenter this summer. According to CBSSports.com Senior Baseball Columnist Scott Miller, that outcome is starting to look more likely by the day. 

Carpenter is recovering from nerve problems in his shoulder and neck, and has come a long way in the course of the season's first two months.

"It's a 180-degee turn," Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak said. "He was at a very low point in early February, and he's gone from there to where he really believes he can contribute. He likes his progress. He has confidence in the way he's throwing."

Carpenter is up to 80 pitches in his bullpen sessions, and is expected to throw again Thursday. He has yet to face live hitters, but that is expected to begin after his next bullpen session.

Despite his progress, the team has not put a firm date on his return, but a late June or early July date remains realistic. 

Brewers reliever Chris Narveson threw a bullpen session Tuesday, as he continues to make progress in his recovery from a middle finger sprain. If Narveson makes it through the next few days without a setback, he could face live hitters Friday in batting practice, according to MLB.com.

"The finger felt good. Just kind of taking it day by day and see how it goes Friday against hitters," Narveson said. "You're just trying to prepare yourself and get your body ready to pitch again. I think you expect yourself to hit the ground running once you come back."

Narveson has been on the disabled list April 8 with the injury, but is clearly making progress. If all goes well with his batting practice session Friday, he could begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Nashville shortly after. 

Brewers reliever Tom Gorzelanny threw 20 pitches in live batting practice Tuesday, and hopes to be back from shoulder tendinitis when the team begins a three-game series against the Pirates Friday.

Gorzelanny has been on the DL since May 11, but has been rehabbing. It is not clear whether he will need a minor-league rehab assignment. The team has not pushed his recovery hard, given the early point in the season in which the injury occurred.

"If this came up in August or September it'd be a different story, but we're just dealing with it now and I'll go back out and be ready to go," Gorzelanny told MLB.com Tuesday. "It went well. I feel good."

The Mets would like shortstop Ruben Tejada to settle in at the leadoff role, but his struggles this season have forced them to improvise at the top of the order.

Tejada is hitting just .213 on the season, and has struggled to square up the ball consistently;  12 of his last 15 outs have been flyballs, according to MLB.com. With Tejada's lack of power, that is not what the team wants out of him.

"There's some things you've got to do to work to your strengths, and Ruben's is hitting line drives," manager Terry Collins said. "Fly balls, they're great once in a while, when you hit one in the gap, but he's got to start being that line-drive guy that we know."

Tejada hit .289 with a .333 on-base percentage last season, a number that is down to .278 this year. He has hit .213 both in and out of the top spot in the order.

"If he was giving us the at-bats that we saw last year, he is the leadoff hitter," Collins said. "The guy that even with two strikes just battles the pitcher."

Rays outfielder Matt Joyce had to be removed from Tuesday's game against Toronto for precautionary reasons due to right hamstring tightness, the Tampa Bay Times reports. 

Joyce went 2 for 3 with two singles before leaving the game and is batting .252. He's day to day for the Rays. Joyce has hits in four of his last five games with two homers and six RBI over that span. 

Orioles starter Miguel Gonzalez came off the disabled list and pitched a season-high seven innings Tuesday at home against the Yankees. Gonzalez helped save the beleaguered Orioles bullpen with his outing as he was coming back from a blister on his pitching hand.

While Gonzalez settled for a no-decision as he left the game tied at two runs apiece, he still kept Baltimore in the game through seven in his first start since May 3 at Anaheim. Gonzalez allowed two earned runs on just five hits and no walks over seven innings and 92 pitches. He struck out five.

The Baltimore 28-year-old starter, who went 9-4 and was one of the team's most consistent starters down the stretch last year, is 2-2 on the year with a decent 4.25 ERA. He's scheduled to make his next start Sunday at Toronto.

The Blue Jays may be considering giving the ball to prospect Sean Nolin to start Friday against Baltimore, Sportsnet.ca reports Tuesday. 

Chad Jenkins is expected to get the start, but that apparently is not set in stone. Nolin was ranked by Baseball America before the year as the team's 19th-best prospect. He holds a 1.17 ERA and is striking out a batter per inning with Double-A New Hampshire this year. 

Rangers starter Alexi Ogando (biceps) has been able to play catch but is only throwing around 40 percent, MLB.com reports Tuesday. 

"I don't know when they'll let me throw hard," the right-hander added. 

Ogando said he's feeling better and is making slow progress. There is no structural damage in his injured biceps, but the Rangers do not have a timetable for his return. 

Yankees starter Phil Hughes was much better Tuesday in Baltimore than he was his last time out when he lasted just 2/3 of an inning against Seattle. He went six innings Tuesday. 

Hughes took a no-decision as he left the game tied at two runs apiece. He gave up two solo homers to Chris Dickerson for the only runs he allowed on five hits and two walks. Hughes threw 102 pitchecs and struck out five batters. His ERA is 5.51. 

The 26-year-old entered Tuesday having allowed 13 earned runs over his previous 6 1/3 innings, and has now allowed five homers in his last three starts. Still, he's 2-3 and he went eight shutout innings against Oakland the start before the two poor ones. 

Hughes is scheduled to make his next start Monday at the New York Mets.